


Reservations

by Etched_in_Fire



Series: Star Fox: Fate's Decree [28]
Category: Star Fox Series
Genre: A pinch of angst because I am weak for it, Cuddles, Established Relationship, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Meeting the Family, Slice of Life, headpats
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:02:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26169133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Etched_in_Fire/pseuds/Etched_in_Fire
Summary: Wolf hasn't seen his family in years.  But after nearly dying to the aparoids, his sister demands that he visits them on Macbeth and Wolf reluctantly agrees to swing by for dinner, bringing Leon with him.
Relationships: Wolf O'Donnell/Leon Powalski
Series: Star Fox: Fate's Decree [28]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/51568
Comments: 3
Kudos: 20





	Reservations

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place a few weeks after Star Fox Assault.
> 
> Has some references to my other fic, Burning Stars, in here but still can be enjoyed without reading it.
> 
> Also as I worked on this, I called it Welcome to the Family but then I kept getting the Avenged Sevenfold song stuck in my head so I had to change the name to Reservations, also I feel like it just kinda fits more.

Dunsinane City, Macbeth, was the last place Wolf had thought he’d ever set foot. He had business often in places like Macbeth City, Birnam, and Inverness, but… he had intentionally kept a pretty wide berth from Dunsinane City for years. And there was a good reason for that. Their names were Tala and Ralph O’Donnell and they were his siblings. Or, he supposed, it was Tala Romulus now. She was married. He had heard that a few years ago and had reaffirmed it when he had decided to eventually reach out to his estranged siblings with a simple but to-the-point letter. It had effectively consisted of “Hi, how are you, remember me? The brother that gave you a shit ton of blood money, ran off, and became a wanted criminal? I’m alive, doing good, hope you guys are too, bye.”

Tala had written back with a lot more eloquence. She had always been the brains of the family despite her fragile emotional state in her younger years. Wolf could tell that she had really found herself in the years after she had left Eladard. She had been ecstatic to hear from her brother and claimed Ralph was happy too. Wolf was just relieved he hadn’t been cut from the family tree. 

They had exchanged some letters over the past few years and somehow, it came up that Wolf needed to swing by. He had told them previously it was impossible due to his outstanding bounty. But something changed. Maybe it was when it had been erroneously announced Star Wolf had been killed fighting the aparoids that Tala’s insistence that he come by tripled. 

And so now, Wolf O’Donnell, disguised as a civilian, was in Dunsinane City, along with Leon because it was probably high time Leon got the scoop on his family. Jury was still out as to how Wolf was going to explain that his second-in-command was also his boyfriend. But if Wolf knew how to do anything, it was how to wing shit. He did acknowledge inwardly that usually he was proficient at winging battle strategies, not social situations—especially not with estranged siblings he had not seen since his youth. Semantics, though, right?

So by the time they were at Tala’s front door with their offering of chips, a pot of baked beans, and a two-liter of Cornerian Cola, he had no plan, which was very typical for him. He stood on the porch with his hands clasping the pot of baked beans, anxiously staring at the lovely tulip rose wreath his sister had no doubt hung up in front of the wood and glass door. Wolf looked at it helplessly, as if it could somehow give him answers. But it sat dormant, as wreaths normally do, and Wolf was left in his own isolated nervousness. 

“Is this it?” Leon asked, having been completely stoic the entire journey. How the hell the Venomian could manage to not feel an ounce of fear, Wolf didn’t understand. Wasn’t meeting the in-laws supposed to be scary?

“Yep,” Wolf replied shortly.

The lizard waited patiently for a few moments then asked with a raised brow, “Are you going to knock?” 

“Oh,” Wolf’s ears went back and he cleared his throat, reaching out with a fist.

He rapped his knuckles against the door and sidled back a step. This was the point of no return, he realized, listening to the pitter-patter of footsteps on the other side of the door. He swallowed, uttering a mantra to himself about how he’s the infamous Wolf O’Donnell, how he fears nothing, how he has bested death a dozen times, how he is a dreaded space pirate…

The door cracked open and he saw a single, inquisitive indigo eye peer at him. The door opened slightly more and Wolf realized he was staring at a white-furred wolven child, who looked to be about ten years of age. He cocked his head at Wolf, mouth partially agape in wonder.

“Oh,” Wolf blinked. “You must be Connor.”

“Who’re you?” Connor asked him, his gaze sweeping over to Leon.

“Oh, they must not have… told you…” Wolf said awkwardly. “I’m your uncle.”

Connor’s eyes widened and then narrowed.

“You’re not Uncle Ralph,” the boy said accusingly but kept the door cracked open out of curiosity. 

“Nah. I’m Uncle Wolf,” Wolf replied, scratching the back of his neck.

“Uncle Wolf?” Connor’s snout wrinkled.

“Ah-ha, you found our guest of honor, I see,” came a flowery voice from the other side of the door. 

Wolf saw shadows stirring before the other wolf came into sight. Her light gray fur was just a few hues paler than his own, her white fringe curled and slightly over one of her lilac eyes. She wore a dress with a sunflower pattern, her wrists adorned in thin golden bracelets. She put a hand on Connor’s shoulder and guided him away, her other hand widening the crack in the doorway. Out of instinct, Wolf’s eyes darted immediately to her silver prosthetic legs, each one crafted with a beautiful vine and flower pattern trailing up the outside of each calf. He quickly looked up to her face, parsing her stunned expression with a wave of emotion surging in his chest.

“Tala,” Wolf said, eye widening.

“Wolf,” Tala smiled and before he knew it, her arms were around his neck, pulling him close.

Leon carefully took the pot from Wolf’s hands and the canine silently thanked him. His arms wrapped around his sister, feeling so many things that he feared he was going to burst. She smelled like lavender and vanilla—the same scents their mother had worn in their childhood. The aroma doused Wolf in nostalgia. He closed his eye and hugged her tighter, thinking of their life in Macbeth City before everything had gone so wrong. The sound of the radio playing as Mom would bake cookies. Dad watching the latest game on the TV and rowdily yelling with a beer in hand. The three kids in the back, digging around in the sandbox, building forts, chasing each other, having a good time…

It was another life ago, one that he never thought he’d return to. But in that moment, he felt that young Wolfrik O’Donnell come alive again. He thought that kid had died somewhere on Eladard.

“It’s… it’s so good to see you,” whispered Tala.

“I missed you,” Wolf admitted quietly and the two gradually broke apart their embrace.

Tala had tears glistening in her eyes and Wolf silently begged that they would go away. He didn’t want to start their reunion off by crying. Resting a hand on her shoulder gently, he mustered up a smile for her.

“Got a lot of stories for you,” Wolf said to her.

“I want hear each one,” Tala beamed at him through her watery eyes. She quickly looked to Leon and offered to take the pot from him. “I… I suppose you’re Leon. Wolf told me much about you.”

“He has?” Leon skeptically side-eyed Wolf then went on. “He has spoken much of you and Ralph as well.”

“He only told us good things,” Tala reassured him as the he handed her the pot of baked beans. “Come in, come in!”

The house was far nicer on the inside than Wolf had anticipated. Sure, the outside had seemed nice enough. It was a residential area where it was obvious that large amounts of care had clearly gone into each yard. The houses looked quite nice as well but Wolf hadn’t thought much of it until he stepped in and found himself in a marble entryway with a glorious curved stairwell leading upwards to the second floor. A parlor room sat directly in front of them with a set of posh couches covered in elegant throws and ornate pillows. Off in the corner was a miniature grand piano. Wolf paused in the doorway so abruptly that Leon nearly collided into his back, taking in the sight carefully. 

After contemplating for a few moments if his sister was indeed _rich_ , Wolf realized that Tala was already on her way to the adjacent room. He hurried after her with Leon on his heels, feeling very much out of place. He supposed being a physical therapy instructor made decent money… and Tala’s husband designed prosthetics. He was sure that definitely raked in cash, too. The cheapness of his clothes made his fur prickle as he walked through the small segue into the kitchen area, which was filled with the scent of food. A television in a nearby lounge nook to the side of the kitchen played the local news.

Wolf caught a glimpse of a gray-furred teen leaning back against the couch. She turned her carmine eyes to him, curiously quirking a brow. He glanced from her to Tala, who sat the baked beans on the counter. Leon put the chips and soda with the others that had been accumulated. 

“Channing, why don’t you come here, sweetie?” Tala called and the teen begrudgingly got up from the couch with a stretch. “This is your Uncle Wolf. I… know we’ve spoken about him before.”

_What does that mean?_ Wolf thought uncomfortably as he looked at the slender teen in front of him. 

She looked reminiscent of Tala with slightly darker fur and a pale gray muzzle. Her ears were tipped black and her long fringe had been pulled back into a messy bun. Channing looked Wolf up and down for a moment, seeming unimpressed. Something about her scrutiny made Wolf want to smirk. It was… almost like looking into a mirror of his own youth.

“Nice to meet you,” Wolf said to her.

“Yeah, you too,” Channing replied stoically.

“Channing is thinking about going to Macbeth City for junior pilot school,” Tala beamed and Wolf raised a brow.

“Oh. I might know a thing or two about flying,” Wolf said, glancing down at Channing. He could hear Leon snicker from across the room. “What you thinking of going into? CDF?” 

_Yeah that’s not gonna be awkward at all._

“Nah,” Channing replied. “I wanna start my own group.”

Wolf laughed. “I might know a thing or two about that, too.”

Channing’s lip curled into a small smirk. “A bounty hunter group.”

“You’ll wanna learn more than flying, then,” Wolf said. “Might could help with that.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Tala interrupted quickly. “Channing, dear, you still have a lot of time to decide.”

“We’ll see,” Channing shrugged.

_That sort of ambition in her eyes is dangerous. But not something I’m not used to. I guess we’ll have to see what happens to Miss Channing Romulus once she gets out of public school._

“Anyways, who are you?” Channing asked Leon.

“Leon Powalski,” the lizard replied formally. “Second-in-command of Star Wolf.”

If there was a time to clarify their relationship, this was it. Wolf glanced from Leon to Tala, feeling the words get stuck in his throat as they tried to bumble out. He felt his mouth run dry as he opened it.

“He’s my… we’re…” Wolf began. “I’ve known him since… he’s…”

“Your roommate?” Channing asked.

“Y-yeah,” Wolf nodded.

“We’re boyfriends,” Leon said flatly and Tala’s ears shot upright.

Wolf felt warmth seep up his neck, flooding his cheeks. He covered his muzzle with a hand. Leon looked entirely unfazed. How that was possible, Wolf didn’t know. Admitting in public that they were in item felt like spilling some dark secret into the open. It shouldn’t be that way, Wolf knew. But still, it made him feel strangely vulnerable. 

“You didn’t tell me…” Tala began, turning to face her brother.

“Yeah, I guess I should’ve brought that up in one of my letters,” Wolf shrugged, trying his best to look calm.

“Well, good for the both of you,” Tala said cheerily. “Leon, you make yourself right at home, okay?” 

“Thank you for your hospitality,” the lizard said courteously with a bow.

“Oh! I suppose you’ll want to meet Calvin,” Tala exclaimed, turning her attention to Wolf as she absent-mindedly straightened the waves in her dress. “He’s out back grilling the burgers.”

As Tala began to lead Wolf towards the back door, he began to understand there was a new feeling blooming in his chest. Tala had really made herself a good life on Macbeth, better than he had anticipated. His violet eye strayed to a wooden and metal clock hanging on the wall near the back door, looking at the fake flora that decorated all around it. There was an excessiveness about it that felt alienating. It was hard to think of such luxuries existing in her life when the bulk of his memories about her were the way her tears felt on his fingers when he had tried to wipe them away. Or the way alcohol had clung to her fur when she had worked at the bar in Eladard. Or the way dirt had often stained their clothes and their pennies not enough to get them a wash at the local laundry mat.

Between then and now, Wolf had become a pirate, gone to prison, fought in a war, lived in hiding, and had gone beyond the reach of the Lylat System. He had killed, he had loved, he had changed. Maybe it was silly to think of Tala standing still in all of that time. After all, just as much time had passed for her. 

The sunlight to the back patio hit his face and Wolf wondered if the changes they had undergone made them too different now. Maybe all they had in common was blood at this point. The notion made him feel more uneasy—it was Tala’s accident that had put him on the bloodstained path to Star Wolf, after all. Was the price of being a good brother becoming no brother at all?

The back patio was nice, crafted with stone underfoot and resting under a foyer. A pool sat in the backyard, taking up the bulk of it. It came with a hot tub and a diving board with a small waterfall built up around it. Wolf felt the weight of his cheap civilian clothes weigh down upon him.

Calvin was out from under the foyer. As soon as Wolf saw him, he realized he had never really wondered much about what Calvin had looked like. His brother-in-law was a bulking arctic wolf with black-tipped ears and snowy fur that was not unlike his son’s. He had a set of rimless spectacles on his snout, which almost fell off when he noticed the door open. His blue plaid shirt was rolled up at the sleeves, his physique fit but weight gaining slightly around his midsection in a fatherly fashion. Wolf told himself it was his brotherly duty to act suspicious about any man his sister brought around but he supposed it was too late for that now. Hopefully Ralph had done enough intimidation tactics for the both of them when Calvin and Tala were still dating. 

That thought just made Wolf think of all of the life events he had missed but he tried not to dwell too hard on that melancholy thought.

“Honey,” Tala said. “They’re here.”

“Ah, sorry hon, didn’t hear the doorbell. You must be Wolf,” Calvin said, stepping around the large grill where he was very evidently grilling enough burger patties to feed a small army.

He set the spatula down atop a napkin and held his hand out. Wolf took it, feeling the arctic wolf’s firm grip. Calvin stood slightly taller than him, his thick fur nearly bursting out of his shirt. Wolf wondered if it ever got too hot for him to be outside.

“It’s good to meet you. I’m Calvin,” the white wolf said. “I… suppose we’re brother-in-laws.”

“Yeah, good to meet you too,” Wolf replied then took a glance over at the grill, trying desperately to come up with something amiable to say. Unfortunately, being the lead of Star Wolf, he was short on pleasantries and social graces and more accustomed to barking orders. His tone was awkward but not nearly as awkward as the comment that came out. “That’s a lot of burgers.”

“Ha! You think so to? _Someone_ insisted I get extra from the store, just in case,” Calvin smirked at Tala, who sighed in mock exasperation.

“I told you, dear, Ralph will down at least four of them and Connor is a growing boy,” Tala reminded him lightly.

“Where is Ralph? I thought he’d be here,” Wolf asked Tala.

“He’ll be along shortly,” Tala smiled. “Just had to wrap up some business at the store. Oh… I believe Connor may have accosted Leon. Sorry… We don’t get many lizards on Macbeth so I think he thinks Leon is neat.”

Wolf sighed but couldn’t fight a smile crawling on his maw. “He is pretty neat. I don’t… know if he has much experience around children…”

“Oh, he’ll be fine, he seems like a responsible type,” Tala said jovially and Wolf thought back to all of the times he witnessed Leon brutally murder someone. Responsible type. Yeah.

“So, I hear you do lots of flying for a living,” Calvin said to Wolf as Tala wandered over to a table she had set out, placing some utensils atop it. “Ever been to Fichina? I’m from the capital there.”

Fichina. Wolf thought back to the Lylat Wars, back to when he had met Fox for the first time. That had been the team’s first loss as a group. Wolf’s ship had nearly crashed and burned in those snowy fields.

“Once or twice,” Wolf replied dismissively. “Cold planets like that ehhhh… not my thing. My coat isn’t built for a climate like that.”

Calvin chuckled. “Fair enough. Not many like it there, barring those that come to see the auroras. I like Macbeth well enough but seeing the sky lit up at night is something I’ll always miss.”

“Yeah, not as scenic here,” Wolf said, trying to play to the flow of the conversation. “Especially not since Andross chopped down Birnam Wood.”

“You an outdoorsy person? Could use a hiking buddy,” Calvin asked.

Hiking? Wolf couldn’t say he had ever been hiking. Maybe the closest to hiking he’d been was when his plane had been shot down and he’d been forced to walk to the nearest Venomian base for a lift. Obviously that was probably not something to bring up in polite conversation. He wasn’t even sure where Calvin had stood on the Lylat Wars.

“I uh… I guess I’m a space person,” Wolf scratched behind one of his own ears. “Never really thought about---”

The chime of the doorbell saved his floundering and his ears swiveled in its direction. Thudding of eager footsteps inside the house caught his attention and Tala smiled knowingly. She began toward the door leading back in the house.

“Ralph’s here,” she said. “Wolf, come on.”

“Oh, sure,” Wolf awkwardly fumbled after her, leaving Calvin to inspecting the burger patties.

Wolf followed Tala inside, where he noticed Connor had brought out a considerably large model of a Cornerian fighter. It was an unfinished model, with various parts of the wings and hull missing. A box lid sat nearby with parts and Leon was scrutinizing each piece, trying to match it to the fighter with a careful eye while Connor excitedly chattered at him. Leon’s carnelian eyes flitted to Wolf for a fleeting moment. The lizard smirked at him and then continued about his tedious work with hard determination in his eyes.

Leaving Leon to entertaining Connor, Wolf pursued his sister quickly as she made her way to the door. Without giving Wolf much time to brace himself for seeing his younger brother, Tala opened the door. A shadow fell over Wolf at once and when he looked at the doorway, he saw only a towering silhouette haloed by sunlight. His ears went back apprehensively.

To say Ralph had grown was an understatement. He was easily two heads taller than his older brother and built like a bull. His pudgy stomach sat happily over his large, silver belt buckle; his shirt simple but tight at the upper arms, where it was clear Ralph had gained a fair amount of muscle. Likely from stocking shelves and lifting, Wolf figured. His younger brother’s fur had maintained its dark blue-gray hue over the years. Those soft, rich brown eyes of his were the same as they had always been—kind and gentle, despite his hulking appearance. They ran over Wolf’s shorter stature in a mixture of awe and wholesome joy.

“Wolf…?” Ralph asked and he could feel his brother’s gaze linger on his eye patch. The grocery bags that rested in either of his muscled arms were sat gently upon the porch, yet even as he bent over to do so, Ralph could not take his gaze off of his brother.

“Hey Ralph,” Wolf said, the corner of his mouth turning up into a smirk.

“Wolf!” Ralph exclaimed and before Wolf knew it, his brother’s arms were around him in a crushing hug. Ralph’s muzzle rested atop of Wolf’s head and he pulled Wolf in tighter and tighter with each second. “I… I can’t believe it! You’re here!”

“You… you really got tall,” Wolf winced, trying his best to gasp for air as quietly as he could to not ruin the moment.

When Ralph did grant him the mercy of freedom, Wolf did not fail to notice the fat, blissful tears in his brother’s eyes. He reached down and picked up his grocery bags, sniffling a bit as he did so. His smile was contagious and Wolf soon found himself grinning from ear-to-tattered-ear.

“And you got… an eyepatch! Like a real pirate!” Ralph beamed at him.

“Ralph!” Tala chided him lightly.

“What? It’s true!” Ralph protested then looked back at Wolf. “I can’t believe my brother’s a real pirate!”

“Not so loud! What if the neighbors hear?” Tala hissed.

“I… Thanks, Ralph, but I… figured the wanted posters would be proof enough about what I’ve been up to…” Wolf began as Tala hurried them both inside, shutting the door quickly.

“Yeah, yeah, but like…” Ralph said. “Wow! An actual pirate!”

“I’m… glad you’re excited,” Wolf retorted with a chuckle on his breath.

They wandered back into the kitchen, where Ralph began to unpack the food he had brought. Tala slid them both cups of a punch she had made for their reunion. Wolf took his gratefully and decided to help Ralph get everything situated. 

“I wanna hear about everywhere you’ve been,” Ralph said eagerly as he unpacked his grocery bags. “And all of your adventures!”

“I’m sure I can share a few before we have to go,” Wolf replied.

“You’re gonna stay for a while, right? I wanna show you the store. We put in an arcade a few years back, dunno if you heard. Got some neat VR stuff that came in from the capital the other day,” Ralph replied. “The stuff those gaming people make is incredible!”

‘Stay for a while’? Wolf hadn’t thought too much about staying past dinner, if he was honest. Panther was running Sargasso while they were away. While he was sure the feline had everything under control, he didn’t want to necessarily come back to find that Panther had bankrupted them with luxuries. And the idea of staying in the ritzy suburbs made him uncomfortable. What if someone recognized him from the wanted posters? And sleeping… here? Where? The sofa? Wolf couldn’t recall the last time he had even slept inside of a house…

And Ralph wanted to hear about his stories. Which ones? The ones where he didn’t kill people for coin? Probably not the ones from the Lylat Wars, where they had willingly sided with a madman with a penchant for bloodlust and revenge. And probably not the ones where he had smuggled drugs to people with burning needs. People that were destroying themselves. People he helped destroy with his services.

_I don’t belong in a place like this. Maybe showing up at all was a mistake._

The canine combed his light gray fringe with his claws, side-eyeing where Leon was fixated upon Connor’s starfighter model. 

“I’ll need to check with my… partner,” Wolf said.

“Partner?” Ralph’s ears went up and he glanced over at where Wolf was looking to, seeming to just now notice Leon. “Oh! Hello there! Sorry, I was so distracted, I didn’t even see you there.”

Leon’s head jerked up from where he was concentrating and he nearly dropped the fighter part in the process. Wolf grabbed his cup and began to drink the punch, hoping that its cool touch would give him clarity on how to handle the situation. He hadn’t exactly told Leon to pack bags for an overnight venture and Wolf had definitely not brought spare clothes either.

“Oh. Greetings. I am Leon Powalski. Wolf’s—” Leon began.

“Partner! Very… cool! Is that like new space pirate lingo for first mate?” Ralph asked.

Wolf sucked in a breath mid-drink, a series of coughs raking his throat.

“M-mate!?” Wolf asked.

“Sort of. We are…” Leon began carefully. “Courting. _Boyfriends._ ”

“Oh!” Ralph’s eyes widened. “Neato, welcome to the family, Leon!”

Ralph wandered over, shook Leon’s hand, and then wandered off to go greet Calvin. Connor departed soon after, feet thundering across the hard floor as he vanished somewhere into the house with a rapid-fire, hyper excuse on his breath. Tala and Channing also took their leave out the back, leaving both Leon and Wolf alone for a few quiet moments.

The silence that ensued felt loaded. Wolf glanced over at where Leon was still marveling over the fighter model that Connor was having him help build. The lizard was eyeing it up and down cautiously but soon averted his gaze from it, looking directly at Wolf with a frosty accusation.

“You are stiff as a corpse,” Leon observed. “Why are you so afraid of talking to your siblings about your personal life? Have I… done something that makes you ashamed of me?”

“No!” Wolf said quickly. “No… It’s not you, Leon. I’m not embarrassed of you… of _us…_ ”

“Then why are you so nervous?” Leon asked. “They are your family.”

“Yeah but I haven’t seen them in years, it just feels…” Wolf began and the lizard held up a hand to silence him.

“This reunion is to bridge the gap that the years have formed. Don’t shy from it. You will regret it otherwise,” Leon said and then added a bit more poignantly. “I speak from experience, Wolf.”

“I know that, it’s just…” Wolf tried but the words fell away before he could spit them out. He sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Just not easy, okay? “This is a nice house and I’m a space pirate. This isn’t my world, it’s _theirs_.”

“You’ve never been good at opening up to others,” Leon replied matter-of-factly. “And now more so than ever, you are concerned they will judge you for the things you’ve done. Don’t forget that the reason they made it here is because of you.”

That statement made any protest fizzle out of Wolf O’Donnell’s mouth. With a growl-fringed sigh, he cast a hard look towards the back door. The sound of polite chuckling and laughter rang out like melodies of a life he could never truly be a part of. But that didn’t necessarily mean he had to stay away forever. That didn’t mean he couldn’t try his best.

“If you think they invited you here without knowing what you have done in the past, then you’re an idiot,” Leon continued, the reality of his words so harsh that it made Wolf spin back around to face him. The Venomian’s slender shoulders rolled into a shrug. “You’re not a low-profile criminal. They have to know at least _some_ things that happened. Besides, it’s not like you left under good circumstances. You were wanted for murder and they knew you were guilty.”

“Soft and tender as ever, aren’t you?” Wolf scowled.

“You don’t want soft and tender,” Leon retorted with an air of smugness. “You’d yell at me for coddling you.”

“You’re not wrong,” Wolf replied bitterly.

“I am not, you are correct,” Leon smirked. “All of what I’ve said, you already know. In our line of work, it is… difficult to open up to others. To accept any measure of vulnerability. But remember the alternative and understand what that means. I… do not think you would forgive yourself if you barricaded yourself behind your reservations and drifted apart from them.”

“You make it sound easy,” Wolf’s ears went back.

“It’s not,” Leon acknowledged. “But it is what’s best for you.”

The lizard paused and then beckoned the canine over. Wolf sighed and trudged over to his boyfriend, feeling a bit like a child that had gotten a lecture. One of Leon’s slender arms wrapped around Wolf’s waist. The Venomian rested his chin on the canine’s hip, looking up at him with a quiet fondness. Wolf felt his skin flush under his fur and he rested a hand atop Leon’s head, stroking over his emerald scales.

“You can do it,” Leon said quietly. “You’re strong enough.”

“Hush,” Wolf closed his eye. “You’re being too sappy. It’s not like you.”

“Hmph. Maybe there’s something quaintly infectious about this suburban setting. It… almost makes me envious,” Leon admitted.

“Envious?” Wolf glanced down at him in surprise. “You wanna be a house wife with two kids and soap operas playing on the TV?”

“Hmph,” Leon scowled, burying his snout into Wolf’s leg. “Tell me a part of that doesn’t appeal to you.”

“Only if you wear a frilly apron,” Wolf smirked.

“If that pleased you…” Leon began, hints of crimson forming near his cheeks.

“You’re being serious,” Wolf realized.

“Maybe,” Leon said bashfully.

“I… don’t even know what to say,” Wolf snorted, patting his head a few more times.

“Just kiss me and pretend like you didn’t hear that,” Leon mumbled.

Wolf reached down, running his hand under Leon’s jaw and forcing him to look up at him.

“Did you just lecture me about opening up to others and now you’re embarrassed that you admitted to me you wanna live in a suburban house with a picket fence?” Wolf asked with a smirk. “And wear a frilly apron?”

“Oh shut up,” Leon grumbled, his cheeks turning redder.

Wolf bent down and kissed him gently on the mouth. It was brief but passionate, cut short by the pitter-patter of footsteps. Wolf pulled back and looked over his shoulder at Connor, who was standing in the doorway with a wrinkled muzzled.

“Ewwww, gross!” the pup remarked. “Kissing!”

Wolf snorted. “You’ll have a different opinion when you’re older, kiddo.”

“Let’s go see the others,” Leon suggested, standing up. “I am certain dinner will be ready soon. Judging from the smell.”

Wolf sniffed the air, agreeing with a small nod. 

“But what about the ship?” Connor asked. “We can’t just leave it like this.”

“Well, we can finish it when we’re back,” Wolf replied and the pup put his hands on his hips.

“But I wanna—” Connor began and Wolf took two quick paces to close the gap between him and his nephew.

“Nope,” Wolf said, scooping Connor up and throwing him over his shoulder so he dangled upside-down. The pup screamed, surprised at first then giggling as Wolf spun in a quick circle, swinging him about. Connor wriggled about, laughing.

Leon smirked at him and walked towards the door. He opened it and gave a small shallow bow, “The pool appears to be clear, sir. If he wiggles too much, you could toss him in.”

“Good idea,” Wolf remarked.

“Noooo!” Connor yelped as they wandered out onto the patio. “Put me dooooooown!”

Tala glanced up at them, her eyes flashing in surprise as Wolf marched out with Connor over his shoulder. A pleasant smile crossed her face and she beamed quietly at Wolf as he walked over to the poolside, still swinging Connor back and forth. Leon grabbed the squirming pup’s forearms and Wolf grabbed Connor’s legs. They both swung him near the pool, threatening to let go to send him flying in. The kid laughed mirthfully all up until Calvin called that dinner was ready.

As they lowered Connor to the ground safely, Wolf caught the intrigued gleam in Channing’s eyes from where she sat under the shade of the patio. There was a smile playing about her maw but it dropped as soon as she noticed him looking. As Calvin started dealing out burger patties, Tala came up behind Wolf and threw an arm around him, squeezing him tight.

“I’m glad you’re here, Wolf,” she said earnestly.

“I’m glad I came,” Wolf replied, still feeling traces of his reservations rest in his chest. But they would fade in time, he knew. He would force those fears to go away if he had to.

Perhaps this was not his world but maybe to say it never would be was a lie bred from his cynical nature. Having been steeped in a life of crime for so long, maybe he had written himself off. But here they were, smiling, laughing… and unafraid of him. Unafraid of the things he had done. It seemed too good to be true but maybe that doesn’t have to be the case, Wolf told himself. Maybe it was time to shed pessimism. Maybe it was time to accept joy.


End file.
